I'm an organ recipient (a cornea) a decade ago now. I was on the list for all of perhaps a month, and due to my then young age, the cornea I would get wouldn't come from a senior citizen, but rather a young person. As the nurse put it, bluntly, I was in line and would receive a cornea arising from someone else's tragedy, as those in their 20s and 30s don't usually pass from natural causes.
The phone call came, and I was put on the surgery list, to happen in 4 days. The wait was to ensure the tests of the deceased's organs demonstrated they were suitable for transplant.
That phone call meant, a young person died, and donated their organs. Its a weird feeling. I was about to have vision in one eye restored, and it was only possible because a young person died and signed their donor card. I was greatly happy and cried at the same time.
Four days later, I'm sitting in the pre-surgery room, there was me, and another guy. We were each getting one of the corneas. Strange feeling. Someone had to die for my opportunity to regain usable vision in my left eye.
You are not told from whom the organs came, although in my case reading the news and connecting the dots suggested the person was murdered. The family also is not told to whom the organs go. I was provided an opportunity, and took it, to speak words of thank you to families of victims whos loved ones donated organs in that prior year. I understand that family was in the crowd, although they remained anonymous, and it was nice to say thank you on behalf of myself and everyone else who received the gift of an organ donation. As a cornea recipient, my case was relatively minor in the grande scheme of life, but it made all the difference to me.
Please volunteer to be a donor until the law changes where being a donor is the default it should be. In the face of tragedy you can help many others.
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/pages/otdrhome.aspx